[ARC5] Connectors and contact cleaners

[Mike Everette via ARC5]

EXACTLY!  DON'T EVER use the electric motor cleaner.

Also, CRC 2-26 contact cleaner is risky on certain plastics.  And flammable! I would stay away from it.

Once upon a time, I sprayed the contacts on the selectivity switch in a Hammarlund HQ-180 receiver with some sort of cheep contact cleaner.  Let it evaporate/dry for 2 or 3 hours, then powered the receiver up.  WHOOOOOOSH!  Smoke and fire!  Good thing Hammarlund still had parts available then.  I called to order a couple of switch wafers.  They sold me the entire switch assembly, pre-wired with about a bazillion parts, for less than one wafer cost.  Those were the days.

Took about 2 hours max to change the entire switch, and when I finished up, the IF alignment was SPOT ON.  Now that was pure blind luck.

73

Mike
WA4DLF

--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 6/12/14, Robert Eleazer <releazer at earthlink.net> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [ARC5] Connectors and contact cleaners
 To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
 Date: Thursday, June 12, 2014, 6:21 PM
 
 In that regard, STAY AWAY from CRC
 Electro contact cleaner!  It has a picture of an
 electric motor on the can, and for all I know it might be
 fine for that kind of thing.  Based on my experience,
 with WWII up to about 1960 tube type electronics, using
 phenolic and bakelite, it probably is Okay - but I would not
 risk it.  But with some of the plastics they started
 using in the 60's  - it MELTS them.
 
 CRC makes some electronic spray cleaners that are fine.
 
 Wayne   
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